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Gabrisko: Databricks won early enterprise clients via a16z CIO briefing forums

Ron Gabrisko · From $1M to $3B ARR: Databricks CRO Ron Gabrisko on Scaling a Revenue Rocket Ship · Feb 7, 2025 · at 15:35

Databricks CRO Ron Gabrisko explains how leveraging Andreessen Horowitz's enterprise network helped Databricks secure early customer meetings with Fortune 500 CIOs.

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“And A-sixteen Z, they have a lot of those kind of go to market motions where they'll set up basically a forum for you to present to large enterprises. I know not everybody has maybe a VC backer, but those programs are incredibly valuable. Sometimes people like outsource them to a salesperson or delegate them. I used to do all those myself, right? If I can get the access to Apple or cap one or somebody like that, their CIO and their whole staff. And I get 20 minutes to present. I want to do that because that's going to open doors. So take full advantage. I think the VCs have amazing connections for their portfolio companies. And we found a lot of our big enterprise customers through that channel early days.”

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